Happy New Year, friends!

I recently celebrated 44 circuits around the sun but I’m not yet “over the hill” when it comes to setting new year goals. Every year, I launch into January with fresh hopes and dreams. Inevitably, a few weeks into the regular routine, some freshness starts to wilt like the leafy greens I buy for the “eat healthy” start of the year. But nonetheless, I’m one of those “Let’s turn a new page” type effervescent (sometimes annoyingly so) people.

Speaking of new pages, for Christmas we bought our 13-year-old daughter a super cute 2023 planner, complete with cupcake and bunny doodles, affirmation stickers, and pink ribbon bookmarks. (Yeah, it was so cute, I may or may not have thought: “I should probably keep this for myself.” I believe this to be a common Christmas gift-giving conundrum that moms of teenage girls face. You’re not alone, sister). I loved that the planner included a tracker for healthy habits and wellness. The message in the planner (and pretty much everywhere) seems to be: progress over perfection.

I wholeheartedly subscribe to this value because perfection can often be well-disguised self-sabotage. But as we enter this new year, can we develop this idea further? As the gospel shapes how we view our plans for this year, here are two ideas to consider:

Be Present

This may sound like New-Agey mumbo jumbo, but as someone with a constant “What next?” soundtrack playing in her head and is eternally hurrying her kids out the door and onto the next activity, this one rings true for me.

God calls us to “Be still.”(Psalm 46: 10) Perhaps that means a sabbath from the ceaseless hustle, but that verse also includes a second part: “And know that I am God.” God reminds us that He is at the wheel and we are not. We can rest from constant striving (even if it looks like progress) because we are freed from trying to prove ourselves. We are, instead, called to press into Who He is through His Word and through prayer and worship. This isn’t mere mindfulness, but it is meditating on Him so we have the mind of Christ.

As this new year unfolds, is God calling you to be present instead of always looking for what’s next? As John the Baptist said to first-century Jews, perhaps the challenge for us is to “Prepare the way for the Lord” (Matthew 3) by being still before Him and pressing into Who He is.

Press On

One of the wildest and most precious things about surrendering to God is that He infuses our lives with purpose. The call for us is to press on toward that purpose. I love how the apostle Paul puts it: “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.” (Philippians 3:12).

It sounds like ‘Progress not perfection’ is not a new-fangled idea that influencers on Instagram conjured up out of thin air. Maybe the copyright for the quote belongs to Paul (through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, of course).

Paul here says that he is not perfect, but he presses on to take hold of that for which Christ took hold of him. Friend, Christ in His grace has taken hold of you and me. We are not merely works-in-progress, but we are His works-in-progress. Paul reminds us that “it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Phil 2: 13) In partnership with the One who is deeply invested in our lives, may we press on to take hold of our purpose to glorify Him and to be transformed into the likeness of Jesus.

Again going back to John the Baptist’s admonition to the Pharisees of his time, may we too be challenged “produce good fruit.” (Matthew 3) May we press on to walk in the good works God has prepared for us so He is lifted up.

Progress over perfection is an uplifting message for the new year. But by pressing into God and pressing on toward our purpose in Him we lift up the One who is Perfect in every way.

Can we pray together for a minute?

Father God, Even as the new year begins, I thank You for Your presence. You are the God who goes before me. You are the God who is with me. You are the God who is my rear guard. Father, teach me this year to be still and know that You alone are God. Show me what it looks like to consistently press into You through prayer and meditating on Your Word. Father, reorder my priorities and give me a passion for the things that draw me closer to You.  Father, help me to press on to take hold of that for which Jesus took hold of me. I want to glorify You in all I do and be conformed to the likeness of Your Son. In Jesus’ name. Amen

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I’d love to continue to serve you in the new year through the gift of writing. If you’d like for me to cover a particular topic, or if you have any input that might help other readers, do use the Contact tab to get in touch with me or leave a comment below. 

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